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Friedman: Predators looking for a center

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Trotz and Brunette need to get serious about their internal options first. Novak may not be perfectly ideal at center, but he's not bad. Parssinen came in 2 years ago and looked great and has been jerked around ever since. Trotz has 2 internal options on hand, he needs to commit to seeing what they can do, instead of just trying to throw Sissons up there all the time. Maybe Novak lacks a bit in terms of defense, maybe Parssinen isn't the greatest skater (like O'Reilly or Sissons are?), but they can give you a cheap 0.5ppg if you just make a commitment to them. Imperfect as they might be, there simply isn't going to be anything better on the trade market. Time to start making some lemonade Trotzie.
 
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copp is probably available
kevin hayes

not at all what i would consider to be a good 2C but definitely cheap options
 
Scoresberg said:
32 Thoughts: Wild's Kirill Kaprizov should be in Hart Trophy race

On Friedman's 32 Thoughts:

"Know you love the rumours, but it is early. This is the 'we’re-still-seeing-what-we’ve-got' phase. Predators GM Barry Trotz has the second-best hockey radio hit on The Game in Nashville. On Tuesday, he told hosts Willy Daunic, Derrick Mason and Adam Vingan, “No one is trading anyone right now. I would like to get a centre, but no one is giving their centremen away.”

Two toughest things to find: a stud defender and a top centre. No more zero in the win column after Tuesday night, where they opened with Colton Sissons between Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos."

Right now, the Preds have a glaring hole at the 2C positions, almost at the 3C spot, too.
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Newhook for Fabbro?
 
Scoresberg said:
“No one is trading anyone right now. I would like to get a centre, but no one is giving their centremen away.”
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No, rather: "No one is willing to give up a good young 2C for cheap."

The fact is, there's a league-wide shortage of higher-end top 6 center talent. They are super hard to come by at the moment. If you didn't overpay in FA for one or draft one, you're either paying the price or not getting one.

Now, that said, I'll say the same thing that I said in the other thread: The Penguins have Hayes, Eller, Acciari, Glass, and Lizotte. I'm sure one could be made available. Eller is looking damn good for his age. Hayes has been good on the 4th line as well. You have the picks...
 
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Stamkos were at least in last two years a pp specialist. Like Blake Wheeler in Jets in his last couple of years.

Pp points can mask a decline of player very well. If you don't watch all the games. Blake Wheeler was horribad in Jets, but pp and empty net points keep his stat line fine. Add to that he lead the room and better players like Ehlers and Laine suffered because of that.
 
If Buffalo continues to be bottom feeders I could see both their top centers being available- Thompson and Cozens...no one on that roster should be untouchable..Good chance the roster gets blown up, and we all know how former Sabres do elsewhere- Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, etc....Losers in Buffalo, Stanley Cup Champions elsewhere, lol. 😄
 
Toene said:
Newhook for Fabbro?
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Considering Fabbro is in the press-box in Nashville, I’m all for it. Newhook probably ends up in the press-box as well eventually, though.

Rock Paper Sissons said:
In all reality we need a true number 1 centre.
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That hasn’t come by since 1998, so I’m having a hard time seeing one do anytime soon.
 
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Leafshater67 said:
I like Stamkos but the people who were confused as to why Tampa let him go - this is why. He can’t play C anymore and is basically a power play specialist. 8m is a lot of money for a guy like that. Now they need a 2C.
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Love Stammer, but he has never been a great centre, was always meant to be a winger imo. Trotz is getting what he deserves for trying to patch a team together with UFA's, as much as I like him too. Yzerman has made the same dumb, impatient mistake
 
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Scoresberg said:
Considering Fabbro is in the press-box in Nashville, I’m all for it. Newhook probably ends up in the press-box as well eventually, though.


That hasn’t come by since 1998, so I’m having a hard time seeing one do anytime soon.
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“Since” 98? We never had one then haha

But yeah my friend, brutal… we really need that number 1 centre one day…
 
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The bottom line is the Preds aren't going to solve this perfectly, ideally, magically, epically, whatever. The team just needs to settle on actually putting in the best lowest cost bandaid they can. Which is almost certainly Novak or Parssinen. Stick the bandaid on, stick to it. Revisit next summer if something better comes along, but this is the bed that was made. Sleep in it.
 
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A1LeafNation said:
Why don't they just try Novak at 1C first.

Forsberg Novak Marchessault
Stamkos O'Reilly Evangelista
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Cause Brunette refuses to break up that top line.

Other things Brunette refuses to do, sit Jankowski, McCarron, or Smith. Part of our problem is Brunette has pigeonholed half his roster, so that means he can't move other guys around to spots that may make sense.
 
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Leafshater67 said:
I heard a few guys say it, yes and he’s paid to be one. I got someone mad before the signing saying he was a liability at even strength. I still think they make the playoffs but they aren’t winning anything. Good luck getting a 2C too.
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He's paid to be a game-breaking center? Aren't those players making $10m and up these days? Also, it was known immediately that Stamkos was going to be playing wing, regardless of what a few guys said.
 
Christian Dvorak is ‘A’ centre. He’s got years of stored energy just waiting to break lose with a contender instead of perennial lottery teams.

Who knows, you might even get a smile out of him.

Yours for a 2025 8th round pick
 
JPT said:
He's paid to be a game-breaking center? Aren't those players making $10m and up these days? Also, it was known immediately that Stamkos was going to be playing wing, regardless of what a few guys said.
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There were a few Preds fans that thought that, frankly we thought they were nuts.
 
Barsky said:
Love Stammer, but he has never been a great centre, was always meant to be a winger imo. Trotz is getting what he deserves for trying to patch a team together with UFA's, as much as I like him too. Yzerman has made the same dumb, impatient mistake
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I think Trotz did worse because Yzerman only did it to add some depth and veterans for the rebuild while Trotz (one of the best coaches ever) thought signing a few 30+ guys would get an overachieving bubble team a cup.

JPT said:
He's paid to be a game-breaking center? Aren't those players making $10m and up these days? Also, it was known immediately that Stamkos was going to be playing wing, regardless of what a few guys said.
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Depends on your definition of game breaker. He’s paid to be a top line scoring threat and I think a lot of people expected him to continue at a 40g pace. I don’t like to call anyone a PP merchant because it’s usually a lazy take but Stamkos isn’t nearly the player he once was at even strength anymore and can no longer play centre.
 
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